Coleus plant named &#39;UF16-5-6&#39;

ABSTRACT

‘UF16-5-6’ is a new coleus plant with novel characteristics that include a vigorous compact mounded growth habit, an excellent heat tolerance, and consistent tri-colored pink, orange, and chartreuse foliage. It has superior stability in foliage color in both sun and shade conditions, maintaining stable color in all conditions. ‘UF16-5-6’ has not been observed to produce flowers in any trial we have conducted to date, and thus it has long season performance as an annual plant in the landscape until late Fall.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Plectranthus scutellarioides.

Cultivar denomination: ‘UF16-5-6’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of coleus plant named ‘UF16-5-6’. ‘UF16-5-6’ originated from an open-pollination conducted in May-November 2015 in Gainesville, Fla. between the female coleus plant ‘UF15-5-11’ (unpatented) and an unknown male coleus plant. A single seedling was chosen in May 2016 for further asexual propagation in Gainesville, Fla.

‘UF16-5-6’ has been reproduced asexually for over 18 months through vegetative cuttings and has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations. ‘UF16-5-6’ was first propagated asexually by meristem tip cuttings in May 2016 in Gainesville, Fla., and has remained true-to-type since that time.

‘UF16-5-6’ has large leaves that are contrasting pink, burnt orange, and chartreuse and pointed at the apex; whereas, ‘UF15-5-11,’ the female parent, has smaller leaves that are pink, maroon, and lime green and rounded at the apex. ‘UF16-5-6’ has a robust, well-branched mounded habit; whereas, ‘UF15-5-1 1 ’ is less vigorous and more upright in habit with less lateral branching.

‘UF16-5-6’ was selected because it is the first plant with pink, orange, and yellow leaves from our program with enough vigor to withstand the harsh selection conditions our plants are subjected to during full sun trials in Gainesville, Fla. Normally this color combination fades in full sun with the consistent loss of pink color and a browning of the orange sections of the foliage. ‘UF16-5-6’ is exceptional because it maintains all three distinct colors in well-defined zones in shade or sun.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following are characteristics of ‘UF16-5-6’ when grown under normal horticultural practices in Gainesville, Fla. ‘UF16-5-6’ has a vigorous, compact upright growth habit, an excellent heat tolerance, and consistent pink, orange, and chartreuse colored leaves that are significantly different than other coleus plants. It has superior stability in foliage color in both sun and shade conditions, maintaining stable color in all conditions. When ‘UF16-5-6’ is grown as a stock plant, it has a vigorous but compact upright growth habit with excellent lateral branching, and thus provides ample vegetative propagules for producers. ‘UF16-5-6’ has been observed to have long-season performance in landscape trials in Gainesville, Fla.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This new coleus plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographs, which show the plant's form and foliage. The colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures. The photographs in FIGS. 2 and 3 are of plants grown for 11 weeks from unrooted cuttings in May-July 2017 in a poly-covered plastic greenhouse in Gainesville, Fla.

FIG. 1—Shows the pedigree of ‘UF16-5-6.’

FIG. 2—Shows the growth habit, form, and foliage of ‘UF16-5-6.’

FIG. 3—Shows a close-up of the foliage of ‘UF16-5-6.’

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description sets forth the distinctive characteristics of ‘UF16-5-6’. The detailed description was obtained using 10-week-old plants grown from unrooted cuttings in May-July 2017 in a poly-covered plastic greenhouse in Gainesville, Fla. The plants were propagated in mist for 10 days after cuttings were stuck and then grown in 1-gallon pots for approximately 8.5 additional weeks. Color references are to the R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.), 2007 5th Edition.

-   Classification:     -   -   Family.—Lamiaceae.         -   Botanical.—Plectranthus scutellarioides.         -   Common name.—Coleus.         -   Cultivar name.—‘UF16-5-6’. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Spreading.         -   Habit.—Upright.         -   Height (from top of soil).—30-35 cm.         -   Width (horizontal plant diameter).—50-55 cm. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cuttings.—Vegetative meristems having at least 1 node.         -   Time to initiate roots.—3-4 days.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—7-10 days.         -   Root habit.—Fibrous.         -   Root description.—Callus forms in 2 to 3 days, roots             initiate in 3-4 days and become a highly branched cutting in             7-10 days. -   Branches:     -   -   Quantity per plant.—8.         -   Branch color.—RHS N144C.         -   Texture.—Smooth.         -   Pubescence.—Not present.         -   Stem description.—Square-shaped stem, 0.7 cm in diameter at             the soil line.         -   Branch diameter.—0.4-0.5 cm at the base of a 27 cm long             branch.         -   Branch length.—25-29 cm.         -   Internode length.—4-5 cm.         -   Anthocyanin.—Not present. -   Leaves:     -   -   Quantity of leaves per branch.—15-17.         -   Arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Fragrance.—Not fragrant.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Length.—10-12 cm.         -   Width.—8-9 cm.         -   Apex.—Broadly acute.         -   Base.—Rounded.         -   Margin.—Crenate.         -   Leaf texture (both surfaces).—Smooth.         -   Pubescence color (both surfaces).—Not present.         -   Venation color.—Upper surface: Center=RHS 61B;             Mid-Center=RHS 187A; Edge=RHS N144B. Lower surface: RHS 1C.         -   Venation pattern.—Upper surface: Reticulate. Lower surface:             Reticulate.         -   Color.—Immature leaf: Upper surface: Center=RHS N77B;             Margin=RHS N144C. Lower surface: Center=RHS 183C; Margin=RHS             N144D.         -   Color.—Mature leaf: Upper surface: Center=RHS 61B;             Mid-Center=RHS 187A; Margin=RHS N144B. Lower surface:             Center=RHS 27C; Mid-Center=RHS 138B; Margin=RHS N144B.         -   Petiole length.—3-3.5 cm.         -   Petiole diameter.—0.2-0.3 cm.         -   Petiole color.—RHS 154D.         -   Petiole texture.—Smooth, no pubescence. -   Flowers and seeds: Flowers and seeds have not been observed to date     during formal trials in Gainesville, Florida. -   Fruit/seed set: Fruit/seed not observed. -   Disease and insect resistance: Disease and insect resistance is     typical of the species, and thus no claims are made of any superior     disease or insect resistance with this cultivar. The most common     insect pests observed on this plant in Gainesville, Fla. have been     long-tailed or citrus mealybugs (Pseudococcus sp.), which occur on     older stock plant material held in the greenhouse for over 3-4     months. Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (Bunyaviridae) has also been     observed in plants confined in greenhouses with mixed crops     (peppers) infected with Western flower thrips (Frankliniella     occidentalis). The most common pathogen of this species in the U.S.     is downy mildew (Peronospora lamii). This pathogen has been observed     in stock materials grown closely together in cooler growing seasons. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct Plectranthus scutellarioides plant called ‘UF16-5-6’ as shown and described herein. 